Closure for a brassiere

ABSTRACT

A closure for a brassiere has two closure parts of identical shape that may be fixedly and releasably connected to one another by non-positive or positive mutual engagement of at least two latching devices that are arranged and designed to be point-symmetrical relative to the closure. The closure parts have slot-shaped eyes with a relatively parallel path of the longitudinal edges of the eye openings substantially symmetrically relative to a longitudinal central plane of the closure extending between the eye openings. Stable latching pins are provided extending substantially at right angles to the separation plane and pass through a female latching opening of the other closure part and engage behind a latching region of the edge thereof with a latching projection.

The invention relates to a closure for a brassiere comprising two closure parts made of plastics, which may be secured to one another by means of latching devices in a non-positive manner and may also be separated again from one another by release activation, and comprising the further generic features cited in the preamble of claim 1.

Such closures are often configured as so-called simple closures, in which the two closure elements are of identical configuration, i.e. the hooks and eyes are present to the same extent in both closure elements. In such a “simple” closure, in the assembled state of the closure parts, a point-symmetrical design of the closure results overall, such that two points of the two closure parts corresponding to one another are “geometrically” connected by a straight line, which passes through the common geometric center of gravity of the parts in their closed configuration. This “point-symmetrical” configuration results in mirror symmetry of the eye regions of the brassiere closure, both relative to a “longitudinal” central plane of the entire arrangement extending between the generally elongate eyes of the closure parts and also relative to a “transverse” central plane of the entire arrangement extending at right angles thereto.

The closure parts of the known brassiere closures are configured as injection-molded plastics parts, in which the latching projection elements engaging behind the latching edges also have to provide security against the closure elements pulling apart, i.e. relatively small parts which engage behind edges of “female” latching openings which are configured as small openings in the central region of the webs bordering the eye openings.

In the generally known brassiere closures of this type it is acknowledged that tensile forces acting on the closure elements and acting in the opposing direction, are only able to be absorbed to a limited degree, to which an upper limit of 70 to 80 N (7 to 8 Kg) corresponds. This tensile strength of the known brassiere closure is too low for a statistically relevant number of conditions of use, and it leads relatively frequently to damage which may have unpleasant consequences for the wearer of the brassiere.

The object of the invention, therefore, is to design a closure of the above-described type such that with the dimensions of the closure which substantially correspond to those of the known closures, a greater security of the closure against opening thereof as a result of loading is achieved and without impairing the handling of the closure with regard to the ease of the closing and opening thereof.

This object is achieved according to the invention, according to the fundamental idea, by the characterizing features of claim 1 and in expedient and advantageous embodiments of the closure according to the invention by the features of the sub-claims.

By the arrangement provided below of the latching devices used to fix the closure parts to one another, such that the latching devices are moved from the region formed by the edges of the eyes themselves, in the vicinity of the opening, further into the inside of the entire closure arrangement, the opening widths of the female latching elements may be enlarged and a more stable design of the male latching elements may be implemented, which as a whole benefits the tensile loading capacity of the latching connections.

In this case, it is of particular significance that the tensile forces may be absorbed by relatively stable pins and the latching projections merely serve for securing the latching pins against axial displacement, the tensile forces, which act substantially at right angles to the latching pins, having practically no force components which could cause an axial displacement of the latching pins in the female latching elements. As a result, the loading capacity of the connection of the closure parts is effectively further increased and/or the probability of inadvertent opening of the closure is drastically reduced.

To this end, by means of the sub-claims 2 and 3, features of advantageous designs of the closure parts of the brassiere closure according to the invention, which may be used alternatively or in combination, are provided, which are suitable both as a closure for a brassiere in the region of the cups as well as for a brassiere where rear parts might have to be connected to be secure under load, in order to resist in an equal manner increasing movement and decreasing movement which occurs, for example, during performance sport activity.

Further details of the brassiere closure according to the invention are revealed from the description of a specific embodiment with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a schematically simplified view of a brassiere having a closure according to the invention arranged between the cups, to a scale of 1:1,

FIG. 2 a shows a closure element of the closure according to FIG. 1 in section along the line 1 a-1 a of FIG. 2 b,

FIG. 2 b shows the closure element according to FIG. 2 a viewed in the direction of the arrow IIb of FIG. 1,

FIG. 2 c shows a simplified view of the closure element according to FIG. 2 b, viewed in the direction of the arrow IIc of FIG. 2 a, FIGS. 2 a-2 c respectively in enlarged scale,

FIG. 3 a shows a view of the front face of the brassiere closure remote from the wearer according to FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 b shows a view of the side of the closure facing the wearer according to FIG. 1, in a view corresponding to FIG. 3 b.

The brassiere closure respectively denoted in the drawings as a whole by 10, is shown in connection with a design of the brassiere in which the closure 10 is arranged between the cups 11/r and 11/l of the brassiere denoted as whole by 11. It is understood, however, that with a suitable design—not shown—of the rear parts of the brassiere 10 the closure may also be arranged on the back of the wearer.

The closure 10 is configured as a so-called simple closure, in which the two closure elements 10/l and 10/r which may be connected to one another, which are respectively connected to one of the two cups 11/l and/or 11/r, are of identical configuration.

Such a design implies that, as a whole, the closure in the assembled configuration is point-symmetrical relative to the geometric central point of the closure.

The two closure elements 10/l and 10/r are made as injection-molded plastics parts, preferably from POM (poly-oxy-methylene). The closure elements are designed such that they may be injection-molded in two-part molds, i.e. dies which have either one or more separation planes parallel to one another, which produce a continuous covering of the entire projection surface of the closure in a projection perpendicular to these planes.

The closure elements of the brassiere closure 10 according to the invention are designed such that for their manufacture a mold with only one separation plane is used which is denoted in FIG. 2 a by 12.

For fixing the two closure parts 10/l and 10/r respectively forming a closure 10, two latching connections denoted respectively as a whole by 13 are provided per closure 10 which respectively encompass a “female” opening 14 with an edge portion 16 which may be engaged behind and a “male” latching pin 17, the fixing of the two closure parts 10/l and 10/r to one another may be achieved by the mutual non-positive/positive engagement thereof, in which a latching projection 18 of the “male” latching pin 17 engages behind the edge portion 16 of the “female” opening 14.

For producing the closed configuration of the closure 10, the parts thereof are pressed against one another after being mutually hooked together such that a guided relative movement of the closure parts 10/l and 10/r results, which in the last phase, i.e. directly before snapping the latching projection 18 into the position engaging behind the retaining edge portion 16 of the “female” opening 14, takes place perpendicular to the separation plane of the closure parts 10/l and 10/r, which are then held against one another in the closed configuration with a coinciding arrangement of their separation planes.

The latching pins 17 and latching projections 18 of the two closure parts 10/l and 10/r to be connected to one another, which are used in pairs for forming a releasably fixed latching connection 13, are arranged offset, as may be derived most clearly from FIG. 3 b, both relative to the longitudinal central plane 19 of the respective closure 10 and also relative to the transverse central plane 20 thereof, such that they are arranged at a defined distance dl and/or dq both from the longitudinal central plane 19 and from the transverse central plane 20, the distance dl measured in the longitudinal direction in the embodiment selected for the explanation being approximately ⅛ of the length of the respective closure part 10/l and 10/r measured in the same direction and the distance dq being approximately ¼ of the width b (FIG. 2 c) of the respective closure part 10/l and 10/r (note: distances have to be verified).

In the design of the latching connection 13 thus explained, the tensile loading occurring in the closure is absorbed by the latching pins 17 which extend transversely to the separation plane 12, the force vector of the tensile loading extending, so to speak, in the separation plane of the respective closure parts 10/l and 10/r and at right angles to the longitudinal central plane 19 of the respective closure 10. The latching projections 18 which prevent the two closure parts 10/l and 10/r fixed to one another from being moved apart, are practically not loaded and provide sufficient security against the closure parts 10/l and 10/r being moved apart in the direction perpendicular to the separation plane 12. Therefore, a relatively low supporting surface is sufficient, with which the latching projection engages behind the supporting edge 16 of the “female” latching element, in order to achieve a reliable fixing which, however, viewed in the transverse direction in which large forces may occur, is able to be relatively highly loaded.

The two closure parts are constructed as follows in detail:

The closure parts 10/l and 10/r respectively comprise an eye region which, apart from the opening region of the respective latching connection 13, is configured symmetrically relative to the separation plane 12.

The eye region which substantially borders the eye opening 21, is configured as an oval ring which comprises two parallel longitudinal webs 22 and 23 and curved pieces 24 and 26 connecting the longitudinal webs to one another, which together border the slot-shaped eye opening 21.

The longitudinal web 22 externally bordering the eye opening 21 has, relative to the separation plane 12 of the closure part 10/l and/or 10/r, a lower height ha than the inner longitudinal web 23, the height thereof being denoted by hi, the thickness of the edge of the eye measured perpendicular to the separation plane 12 continually increasing from the value 2 ha to the value 2 hi in the region of the curved parts 24 and 26.

Observed in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2 a, the angles which enclose the envelope planes 27 and 28 of the curved parts 24 and 26 “above” and “below” the separation plane 21, are approximately the same and in the specific embodiment shown are between 60 and 80.

The hook region denoted as a whole by 29, is adjoined to the inner “higher” longitudinal defining web 23 of the slot region 19, and which is provided for the non-positive/positive connection of the one respective closure part 10/l and/or 10/r to the respective other closure part 10/l and/or 10/r.

In the closed configuration of the brassiere closure 10 the eye regions of the two closure parts 10/l and 10/r held against one another are arranged with a parallel path of the “inner” higher longitudinal webs 23 at a distance from one another which substantially corresponds to double the value of the effective width of a hook limb 31 of the locking part 10/l or 10/r, which has an outer longitudinal edge 32 extending parallel to the longitudinal webs 22 and 23 of the observed locking part and, viewed in the closed configuration of the closure part, adjacent to the outer longitudinal web 22 of the adjacent locking part, over which, viewed in the views of FIGS. 2 a and 2 b, the narrow latching surface 35 of the latching projection 18 of the latching pin 17 projects, which may be brought into engagement with the “female” latching element 14 of the second closure part, the “male” latching element thereof in this case coming into engagement with the female latching element 14 of the above-described closure part 10/l and/or 10/r.

The design of the latching elements 14 and 17 and the arrangement thereof is such that the separation planes and/or surfaces of the closure parts, when these are fastened to one another, coincide.

The hook limb 31 which extends substantially parallel to the webs 22 and 23 of the eye region, is arranged at a distance from the adjacent “inner” longitudinal web 23 which is bridged by a bridge part 36 extending obliquely to the direction of extension of the longitudinal central plane 34 of the eye opening 21, which in its central region between the hook limb 31 and the inner longitudinal web 23 of the eye, has a planar defining surface 37 (FIG. 2 a) extending in the separation plane of the relevant closure part, and moreover runs on one side “below” this separation plane. As a result, between the hook limb 31 of the hooking region 29 and the eye region a flat groove 38 is present which in the assembled state of the two closure elements 10/l and 10/r receives the hook limb 31 of the respective other closure element.

According to the view of FIGS. 2 a and 2 b this groove 38 is defined by the inner edge 39 of the eye region, on the one hand, and the portions 41/1 and 41/2 as well as 41/3 extending parallel thereto of the inner edge of the hook limb 31. The hook limb 31 is adjoined to the side remote from the groove 38 “below” the separation plane 12 via an oblique surface 42 at 35° on the bridge region 36 forming the groove bottom, which is provided with the latching opening 14 through which the latching pin 17 of the respective second closure part penetrates and comes into engagement with the edge portion 16 which extends parallel to the edges of the eyes, and with a small radius of curvature which has a typical value of 0.3 mm, adjoins the bridge part 36 of the closure element.

This feature of the closure 10 is provided in the view of the closure according to FIG. 3 b.

The bridge part 36, within which the overwhelming part of the free cross-sectional area of the “female” latching element 14 (FIG. 2 b) is located, which is arranged on one side of the transverse central plane 43 of the closure part, which is perpendicular to the groove surface 37 and extends at right angles to the longitudinal central plane 34 of the eye opening 21, is defined on the opposing side relative to this transverse central plane 43 (FIG. 2 b) by an oblique edge 46 extending partially substantially in a straight line which, proceeding in a similar tangential manner from the curved region 24 of the eye part, extends obliquely to the transverse central plane 43 in the path visible in FIG. 2 b, and has a relatively short portion 46/e extending in this central plane, which extends in this plane as far as the central portion 41/2 of the inner edge of the hook limb 31.

This edge end portion 46/e of the bridge part edge 46 extending at right angles to the central edge portion 41/2 of the hook limb 31 forms the end stop, when combining the two closure parts 11/l and 11/r, as far as which the respective second closure part to be positioned on the relevant closure part and to be latched fixedly thereto may be inserted into the V-shaped opening region between the hook limb 31 and the eye region, for example as far as a position in which the longitudinal central planes of the closure parts to be connected to one another run at right angles to one another or are inclined in an X-shape relative to one another, after which by pressing together the closure elements with their groove bottoms 37 bearing against one another in a coplanar manner, the closure configuration is achieved in which the two closure parts are fixed to one another. Proceeding from the view of FIG. 2 b, the overall view of the locking parts connected to one another 10/r and 10/l is provided in the view according to FIG. 3 a.

On the side remote from the planar groove bottom surface 37 of the respective closure part 10/r and/or 10/l, the view thereof being reproduced by the view of FIG. 2 c, is adjoined a step 46/h extending, so to speak, the curved edge of this step, the corner region 46/r thereof curved with a small radius merging with the bridge-edge region 46/b of the hooking part 29 curved with a relatively large radius of curvature, which in turn is again adjoined to the curved piece 26 with a small radius of curvature, which on this side borders the eye opening 21 of this closure part.

Between the sharply curved corner region 46/r (FIG. 2 c) and the transverse edge 46/e arranged in the region of the transverse central plane 43, extends a guide region 47, of right-angled triangular basic shape in the plan view of FIG. 2 c, corresponding to the oblique surface 42 of FIG. 2 a which simplifies the assembly of the two locking parts along the edge 46.

The corner region 47/e corresponding to the vertex of this triangle is located in the plane of the bottom surface 37 of the groove 38 of the locking part; the corner point and/or corner region 48 of the triangular guide surface 47 located closest to the “female” latching element 14 is, according to the view of FIG. 2 a, located level with the lower envelope surface 28 of the considered closure part; the same is true for the corner point of the triangular guide surface 47 corresponding to the curved corner region 46/r, which guide surface 47, when viewed in the sectional view of FIG. 2 a, encloses the angle of 35° with the separation plane 12 of the considered closure part.

By means of the guide surfaces 47, when assembling the locking parts 10/l and 10/r to be connected to one another, easy guidance of these parts relative to one another is achieved and thus the assembly in the correct position is substantially simplified.

In a typical design of the brassiere closure 10, the locking parts 10/l and 10/r thereof are produced with, for example, the following dimensions:

-   -   Length l of the locking part, measured between the outer sides         of the rounded portions 24 and 26 of the eye region 19: 13 mm     -   Greatest thickness of the locking part, measured perpendicular         to the separation plane 12: 3.29 mm     -   Thickness of the longitudinal webs 22 and 23 of the eye region:         1.5 mm     -   Clear width of the eye opening, measured at right angles to the         longitudinal edges: 1.5 mm     -   Angle between the oblique base surface of the latching pin 17         and the separation plane of the closure element: 13°     -   Distance a between the respective outer longitudinal edges of         the eye region remote from one another and of the hooking part:         10.96 mm     -   Greatest width b of the locking part measured between the outer         longitudinal edge of the outer eye web and the outer edge of the         latching projection 18 of the latching pin 17 remote therefrom:         11.19 mm.

In summary, the following is to be emphasized: in a closure 10 for a brassiere comprising two closure parts 10/l and 10/r of identical shape consisting of plastics, which by means of latching devices 13 which comprise female latching elements 14 and male latching elements 17, may be fixedly and releasably connected to one another by non-positive/positive mutual engagement, and may be released again from one another by release actuation, at least two such latching devices 13 being effective which, viewed in the closed configuration of the closure 10, are arranged and designed to be point-symmetrical relative to the geometric center of gravity of the closure, the closure parts 10/l and 10/r for connecting to strip-shaped support elements have slot-shaped eyes 21, which are arranged with a relatively parallel path of the longitudinal edges of the eye openings substantially symmetrically relative to a longitudinal central plane of the closure extending between the eye openings 21. The latching devices 13, viewed in the closed configuration, are arranged between the edge webs 23 facing one another of the eye regions inside bridge regions of the closure parts 10/l and 10/r connecting the edge webs to one another, and arranged at a distance from the transverse central plane 20 of the closure 10 extending at right angles to the longitudinal edges of the eye openings 21. Stable latching pins 17 are provided as latching elements extending substantially at right angles to the separation plane 22 of the closure parts, which respectively pass through a female latching opening 14 of the respective other closure part and engage behind a latching region of the edge thereof with a latching projection 18 and as a result secure the latching element against being moved out of engagement with the female latching element. 

1. Closure (10) for a brassiere comprising two closure parts (10/l and 10/r) of identical shape consisting of plastics, which by means of latching devices (13) which comprise female latching elements (14) and male latching elements (17), may be fixedly and releasably connected to one another by non-positive/positive mutual engagement, and may be released again from one another by release actuation, at least two such latching devices (13) being effective which, viewed in the closed configuration of the closure (10), are arranged and designed to be point-symmetrical relative to the geometric center of gravity of the closure, and further the closure parts (10/l and 10/r) for connecting to strip shaped support elements have slot-shaped eyes (21), which are arranged with a relatively parallel path of the longitudinal edges of the eye openings substantially symmetrically relative to a longitudinal center plane of the closure extending between the eye openings (21), characterized by the following features, that a) the latching devices (13), viewed in the closed configuration, are arranged between the edge webs (23) facing one another of the eye regions inside bridge regions of the closure parts (10/l and 10/r) connecting the edge webs to one another, and b) the latching devices (13) are arranged respectively at a distance from the transverse central plane (20) of the closure (10) extending at right angles to the longitudinal edges of the eye openings (21) and c) stable latching pins (17) are provided as latching elements extending substantially at right angles to the separation plane (22) of the closure parts, which respectively pass through one female latching opening (14) of the respective other closure part and engage behind a latching region of the edge thereof with a latching projection (18) and as a result secure the latching element against being moved out of engagement with the female latching element.
 2. Closure according to claim 1, characterized in that the closure parts (10/r and 10/l), viewed perpendicular to the separation plane (12), have V-shaped insertion openings with oblique sliding guide surfaces (47) adjacent to edge regions thereof, which when assembling the closure parts assist a centering of the male latching elements (17) of the latching devices (13) relative to the female latching elements (14).
 3. Closure according to claim 2, characterized in that the male latching elements (17) are configured as latching pins, which have narrow latching projections (18) which, viewed in the closed configuration, engage behind narrow latching edges (16) extending in the separation plane of the respective locking part (10/r and/or 10/l), which in turn extend parallel to the longitudinal edges of the closure elements. 